Business and Creativity: It’s Not Just for Artists!

There are six distinct Perceptual Styles that characterize
the ways the different people see the world. On the surface, some of these
styles look more creative than others—but creativity is not a Perceptual Style
quality, it’s a human quality.

Often, when we hear the word ‘creativity’ we think of
artists and art in the broadest sense of the word—painting, sculpture,
composing, writing, etc. But creativity is not limited to the artistic field,
and entrepreneurs and other professionals do themselves a great disservice when
they dismiss the notion that they have natural creative abilities.

One definition of creativity reads:

the ability
to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like,
and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations

Using this definition we can find
creativity in each of the six Perceptual Styles:

Activity shuns repetition and routine and will
create new ways to accomplish everyday tasks in order to keep them interesting.
Rather than giving up on a project, the individual with the Activity
Perceptual Style will approach it in multiple ways, trying different
solutions until they find one that works for them.

Adjustments creates complex systems that
reflect the intricate and interconnected nature of their perceptual experience.
Individuals with this Perceptual Style see the natural world around them
as an elegant sort of clockwork. Therefore, their creative solutions will reflect
and highlight unique ways of connecting systems that appear to others to
have no connection at all.

Flow also sees complexity, but within in the
realm of human relationships. Individuals with the Flow Style create
extraordinarily multifaceted communities that creatively build
relationships, bonding others together using unusual and inexplicable common
interests.

Goals is a master at creating tactics that
directly address the issues and problems at hand. Individuals with this
Style have a form of creativity that is driven by their ability to turn
mundane everyday tasks into an exciting form of competition. With startling focus, they cut through
all that is superfluous and drive to the heart of what needs to be done
with relentless energy and endurance.

Methods has an unusual form of creativity:
reducing organization and regulation to new levels of simplicity.
Individuals with this Style take what many see as the opposite of
creativity—routine, stability, categorization, and predictable sequences—to
a level beyond mere order, creating truly optimized systems. Their
creativity lies in their ability to see through the complexity and chaos and
make it intelligible to all.

Vision creates images of possible futures that
stir the passion and imagination of others. Individuals characterized by
this Perceptual Style use their high energy to persuade others to join
them and to draw out the best in each person by finding creative ways to
challenge them. This style of creativity lies in the ability to see and make
use of the best that others have to offer.

This list is by no means
exhaustive or comprehensive. It is merely an exercise to demonstrate the different
approaches to creativity that characterize each of the six Perceptual Styles. It
may be true that you cannot paint a picture or compose a symphony, but broaden
the meaning of the word and you’ll discover that you’re using your creativity
every day in your business.

Lynda-Ross specializes in helping entrepreneurs and coaches build dynamite teams and systems that WORK. She is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment
system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success.For more information, please visit http://www.yourtalentadvantage.com